Sheet-registering mechanism.



1. R. BLAINE. SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1916- Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, l9l6.

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1 II IIIIIII IIII 4 1 JSepMaEZao J'OSEPH R. BLAINE, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MIEHLE PRINTING PRESS & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed June 23, 1916. Serial No. 105,322.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JosEPH R. BLAINE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Registering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

With few exceptions, it has been customary heretofore to feed the sheets individu: ally to a printing press against substantially stationary gages or guides, so that during the travel of the paper it is necessarily stopped in its movement, at least momentarily. to secure the desired registration. In such cases the inertia of the paper must be instantly overcome when the grippers of the impression cylinder, which are constantly travelingat full speed, grasp the sheet and transfer it to the cylinder. As will be appreciated, in a structure of that character the gages and grippers must operate with great precision to secure registration of the sheet and its transfer or clamping to the rapidly traveling impression cyl inder. In other words, when a. sheet of paper is gaged and gripped in a press of this kind the stationary sheet has instantaneously imparted to it the full speed of travelof the impression cylinder periphery, whichren- (lei-s accurate registration diflicult if not impossible. Moreover, an instant before the grippers'close, the guides must get out of the way, leaving the sheet uncontrolled during this instant, affording a further chance for error in getting accurate register.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of means for securing accurate front and side registration of sheets fed to a printing couple, without stopping the sheet in its forward movement and at substantially the Speed of the sheet taking grippers and the impression cylinder, whereby the full speed capacity of the press is utilized without its being limited in any way by the necessary registering process, while the correct registry of the sheet is 1n no way impaired by the speed of sheet travel.

This object is accomplished accordin to my invention by providing a rotary s eet registering mechanism including gages traveling at the same speed as the grippers on the impression cylinder and also includ- .erence should be made;

ing means, preferably operating by suction, for frictionally seizing the front of the sheet at the point of delivery by the sheet feeder approximately adjacent the front gage and advancing the sheet to the said gage; also for similarly engaging the side of the sheet and drawing it laterally to a 'side gage traveling with the sheet; and thereafter releasing the sheet an instant after the same has been taken by the grippers on the impression cylinder,-the sheet registering mechanism and the grippers traveling in arcs approaching a point at which the path of the sheet is tangent to each whereby the front gage moves in lts orbit into the path of the sheet as fed, and after the sheet is registered and is seized by the grippers of the impression cyllnder moves out of the sheet path to enable the sheet to pass on with the impression cyllnder without interruption or interference.

In order that a complete understanding of the invention and more or less of the details of construction of a preferred embodiment of the invention may be fully undev stood, I have illustrated in a more or less fragmentary and diagrammatic manner one desirable embodiment of the invention 1n the accompanying drawings, WhlCh form a part of this specification, and to Whlch ref- It is clear, however, that the invention may be embodled In other and varied constructional forms without departure from the essence thereof, wherefore the drawing and descrlptlon are to be taken in an illustrative rather than in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

Figure 1 is a detail view in front elevation of the mechanism for imparting front register; I

Fig. 2 is a similar view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l-but 1ll us trating the mechanism for imparting slde register; and

Fig. 4 is a new similar to Fig. 2 showing the mechanlsm for imparting side register in side elevation.

Front register.

' Having reference to the drawings (Figs.

while adjacent and in parallel relation thereto is suitably mounted in the frame of the press a shaft 14 driven at a speed corresponding with that of the shaft of the impression cylinder. I An arm 15 is keyed upon the shaft 14 by means of an extended boss 16, Whereon is looselymounted a collar 17 held stationary by means of an arm 18 which takes over the fixed rod 19 extending between the side frames of the press. The stationary collar 17 bears a cam 20 and the boss 16 a cam 21 the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

I Loosely mounted upon said boss 16 of the arm 15 is a gage arm 22 carrying the front gage 23 and having projecting therefrom lugs 24, 25 to the former of which is 'fulcrumed by the pivot 26 an angle lever 27 28, while the lug 25 serves as a mounting for a swivel block 29 screw threaded for engagement by a screw 30 mounted within a similar swivel block 31 and having a milled head 32. 'Fulcrumed on the arm 18 by the pivot 33 is an angle lever 34, 35. The arm 28 of the first mentioned angle lever carries a roller 36 adapted to travel on the stationary cam 20 while the arm 34 of the other angle lever carries a roller 37 adapted to ride on the revolving cam 21.

To the arm 27 of the first angle lever is connected by means of a pin 38 and a slot 39 an arcuate shoe 40 extending laterally from' another arm 41 which is likewise loosely mounted upon the boss 16.. The forward end of the shoe 40 is transversely perfora ted as indicated at 42, the apertures ar ranged to register with the open lower end.

of a suction pipe 43 carried by the gage arm 22 and in revolving communication with a segmental air chamber 44 in the boss 16, which chamber 44 connects with a suction device, not shown, by means of the pipe 45 and the nozzle 46 controlled by the valve 47, the stem 48 of the valve being acted upon by the arm 35 of the angle lever 34, 35 as the revolving cam 21 passes beneath the roller 37. The maximum degree of vacuum within the suction system is regulated by means of the relief valve 49, the spring 50 and the adjusting nut 51.

It should be understood that the shaft 14 extends the full width of the press and that a counterpart of the mechanism above described is mounted upon the shaft 14 and the rod 19 near the two sides of the press, that is to say separated a distance slightly less than the width of the paper to be fed, so that a front gage is provided for effecting register of the sheets at the front edge and adjacent each side. The bosses 16 are slidable longitudinally upon the shaft 14 so as to properly position the tworegistering mechanisms in order to act upon the sheet at the proper point. The position of each having been determined, the arm 15 is clamped upon the shaft 14 by means of the set screw device 52 .acting in an obvious manner. The knurled head 32 of the screw 30 is then manipulated in order to position the gage arms 22 on the two mechanisms in exact transverse alinement and in position approximately in that position, usually within a sixteenth to a quarter of an inch therefrom. The roller 37 riding upon the revolving cam 21 acts through the lever 34, 35 upon the valve stem 48 thus bringing suction to bear through the perforations 42 upon the forward end of the sheet 53 frictionally gripping the same upon the-lower face of the shoe 40 by the air pressure below the sheet, thedegree of said air pressure being regulable by means of the knurled nut 51. Immediately thereafter the roller 36 riding upon the cam 20 moves the angle lever 27 28 thereby advancingthe shoe 40 relative to the gage arm 22 and the gage 23, the gage traveling at the speed of the grippers and the shoe 40 at a slightly greater speed by reason of the action of the lever. The sheet gripped at its forward edge to the shoe 40 by the air pressure on its under side is likewise advanced until it longitudinally to effect the proper front comes in contact with the gage 23 where-.

upon meeting with this obstruction the sheet conforms to the speed of the gage while the shoe 40 continues to move at a faster speed.- The front gage 23 continues its movement at the-speed of the grippers on the impres-' sion cylinder, the sheet being held against the shoe 40 and abutting the gage 23 until the grippers on the impression cylinder have gripped the forward end of the sheet. This transfer takes place on the tangent point of the shoe 40 with the impression cylinder 12 so that the suction and the grippers 13 can both be acting on the sheet at the tangent point, and in fact an instant later. During the further travel of the cylinder beyond the tangent point, the sheet being held by thegrippers on the impression cylinder is peeled off of the shoe 40, as it were, regardless of whether the suction is still on or not. The roller 37 then clears the high part of cam 21 and the valve is permitted to close cutting ofi the suction until the cam again opens the valve to act on the next sheet as it comes into position.

ganization of mechanism for effecting side register of the sheet (Figs. 3 and 4). Herein the side gage arm 60 is keyed to the shaft 14 A 60 is a shoe 72 carrying a roller 73 which by means of an extended boss 61, and a col lar 62 is loosely mounted upon the boss 61 and held in stationary position by means of the arm 63embracing as before the shaft 19. This collar is provided with a cam 64 in one plane and another cam 65 in a different plane. The side gage arm 66 carries the side gage 66, the position of which is. adjustable transversely of the press and longitudinally of the shaft 14 by means of the adjusting screw 67 journaled in the collar 68 clamped to the shaft 14, and threaded in the lug 69 -on the boss 61, the screw being operable by means of its knurled head 70 for the positioning of the gage 66, after which the arm 60 is clamped in position upon the shaft by means of the clamp screw 71.

Transversely slidable within the gage-arm works within an oblique slot 74 of an angle lever 75, 7 6, the opposite arm of which lever has a roller 77 arranged to travel upon the cam 64. The shoe 72 is transversely perforated as indicated at 78, the apertures arranged during the movement of the-shoe across thelower face of the gage arip 60, with an air pipe or passage 79 within the arm 60 connecting with the passage 80 in revolving communication with a segmental air chamber 81 in the collar 62, which chamber connects with a suction device, not

0 shown, by means of the pipe 82 and nozzle 83. A valve 84 controls the connecting port between the air passages 79,80 and the valve stem 85 is acted upon by the arm 86 of the 7 angle lever 86, 87 fulcrumed at 88, as the roller 89 carried by the arm 87 rides upon the cam 65. The maximum degree of vacuum within the suction system is regulated, by means of the relief valve 90, the spring 91 and the adjusting nut 92. 1

In use the valve 84 is normally closed. As the sheet is approached approximately to the gage 23 for front register, and front register having been obtained as previously described, the roller 89 rides upon the cam opening the valve 84 and bringing suction to bear through the perforations 78 upon the side of the sheet thus frictionally gripping the same upon the lower face of the shoe 72 by the application of air'pressure below the sheet, the degree of such pressure being regulable by the nut 92 so as to exceed the friction exerted by the front register mechanism. Shortly thereafter the roller 77 r'ides upon the cam 64 bringing the oblique slot 74 to bear through the roller 73 upon the shoe 72, drawing the sheet 53 to theleft, as shown in Fig. 3 against the side gage 66, the shoe sliding upon the sheet during its further lateral movement after the side registration of the sheet. At the moment the grippers close on the sheet, the suction still has hold of the sheet and during the next one-eighth inch of travel of the cylinder, the suction is released from the sheet and allows it to pass freely with the impression cylinder. The valve then remains closed. until the next cycle starts. After the sheet is taken the roller 77 rides off of high part of .cam 64 bringing the shoe 72 back to its starting position.

I claim:

1. The combination of means for imparting front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, and means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping device to advance the sheet to the gage. v

2. The combination of means for imparting front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with'the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, and means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping device to advance the sheet to the gage, the sheet clamping device comprising a shoe, and means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoe.

3. The'combination of means for impart ing front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, means to temporarily accelerate the speed oftlie clamping device to advance the sheet tothe gage, the sheet clamping device comprising a shoe and means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoe, and the accelerating means comprising a cam and a lever connected to the shoe and actuated by the cam to advance the shoe relative to the gage.

4. The combination of means for imparting front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out. of the sheet path, a, revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, and means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping device to advance the sheet to the gage, the sheet clamping device comprising a shoe and suction means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoe.

5. The combination of means for imparting front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interruptingthe forward movement of the sheet,

' comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at" the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet, path, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, and means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping device to advance the sheet to the gage, the clamping device comprising a valved suction pipe, and a transversely apertured shoe covering the mouth of the pipe, and the actuating and accelerating means comprising a palr of cams one arranged tooperate the valve to hold the sheet against the shoe by air pressure and the other to advance the shoe relative to the gage.

- 6. The combination of means for impart- 1ng front. register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a front gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path intoand out of the sheet path, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling normally with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the sheet, and means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping device to advance the sheet to the gage, the clamping device comprising a valved suction pipe and a transversely apertured shoe covering the mouth of the pipe, and the actuating and accelerating means comprising a pair of cams, and a pair oflevers operated by said cams, one lever bearing on the valve stem in an open direction to apply suction and hold the sheet against the shoe by air pressure and the other lever connected to the shoe to advance the same relative to the gage.

7. The combination of means for imparting front register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising a shaft arranged parallel to the impression cylinder, a gage arm mounted upon said shaft, a front gage on the arm and revolving at the speed of the grippers, a lever fulcrumed to the arm, a transversely aper'tured shoe carried by the lever and having a curved lower face corresponding substantially to the curvature of the path of the gage and to its own path to which the path of the sheet is tangent, a suction'pipe traveling with the gage arm and having its open end covered by the apertured shoe, a. valve in the pipe, a second lever having a stationary fulcrum and bearing on the valve, a

rotating cam arranged toengage the stationary lever for opening the valve and applying suction to hold the sheet against the shoe by air pressure, and a stationary cam adjustable relative to the fixed arm, a front I gage carried by the gage arm, a lever fulr crumed on the gage arm, a shoe extending angularly from one arm of the lever forwardly in a direction corresponding to the arc of travel of the gage, a suction pipe traveling with the gage arm and having its open end covered by the apertured shoe, a valve in the pipe, a second lever having a stationary fulcrum and bearing on the valve, a rotating cam arranged to engage the stationary lever for opening the valve and applying suction to hold the sheet frictionally against the shoe by air pressure, and a stationary cam arranged in the path of the re volving lever to move the shoe across the mouth of the suction pipe to advance the sheet to the gage.

9. The combination of means for 1mpart ing front register to a sheet fed to a punting couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet,

and means for imparting side register to said sheet comprising a side gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path to which the plane of the sheet path is tangent, a revoluble sheet clamping device traveling with the gage, means to actuate the clamping device to seize the slde of the sheet, and means to move the clamping device laterally to bring the side of the sheet to the gage, the sheet clamping device comprising a shoe and suction means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoe by air pressure, and shoe shifting means comprising a cam and a lever suitably fulcrumed and having one arm engaged by the cam, the other arm of the lever provided with an angular extension having therein a groove arranged at an inclination to the plane of revolution of the shoe, and the shoe having a projection extending into the groove whereby the rocking of the lever by the cam will impart a lateral shifting movement to the shoe.

10. The combination of means for imparting front and side register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising front gages mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a side gage mounted to ievolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path to which the plane of the sheet path is tangent, revoluble sheet clamping devices traveling with the front and side gages, means to actuate the clamping devices to seize the sheet, means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping devices of the front registering mechanism to advance the sheet to the gage, and means to shift the clamping devices of the side registering mechanism laterally to bring the sheet against the side gage.

11. The combination of means for imparting front and side register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising front gages mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a side gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path to which the plane of the sheet path is tangent, revoluble sheet clamping devices traveling with the front and side gages, means to actuate the clamping devices to seize the sheet, means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping devices of the front registering mechanism to advance the sheet to the gage, and means to shift the clamping devices of the side registering mechanism laterally to bring the sheet against the side gage, the sheet clamping devices comprising shoes and means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoes.

12. The combination of means for imparting front and side register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising front gages mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a side gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path to which the plane of the sheet path is tangent, revoluble sheet clamping devices traveling with the front and side gages, means to actuate the clamping devices to seize the sheet, means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping devices of the front registering mechanism to advance the sheet to the gage, and means to shift the clamping devices of the side registering mechanism laterally to bring the sheet against the side gage, the sheet clamping devices comprising apertured shoes and suction means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoes.

13. The combination of means for imparting front and side register to a sheet fed to a printing couple having grippers without interrupting the forward movement of the sheet, comprising front gages mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path into and out of the sheet path, a side gage mounted to revolve at the speed of the grippers in a curved path to which the plane of the sheet path is tangent, revoluble sheet clamping devices traveling with the front and side gages, means to actuate the clamping devices to seize the sheet, means to temporarily accelerate the speed of the clamping devices of the front registering mechanism to advance the sheet to the gage, and means to shift the clamping devices of the side registering mechanism laterally to bring the sheet against the side gage, the sheet clamping devices comprising apertured shoes and suction means to frictionally press the sheet against the shoes, the accelerating means for the front registering mechanism comprising a cam and a lever connected to the shoe and actuated by the cam to advance the shoe relative to the gage, and shifting means for the side registering mechanism comprising a cam, a lever acted upon by the cam, the opposite end of the lever provided with an angular extension having therein a groove arranged at an inclination to the plane of revolution of the shoe, and a projection extending from the shoe into the groove whereby the rocking of the lever will shift the shoe laterally.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH R. BLAINE. Witnesses:

LEWIS T. GREIsT, Mnxrov T. MILLER. 

